Detection and mechanism of action of ESM-1 in rat kidney transplantation under various immune states.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether ESM-1 expression change reflects the impairment of endothelial cells and rejection after kidney transplantation, ESM-1 expression was detected under various immune states in this study. METHODS: Kidney transplantations were performed from BN to LEW rats. Syngenic LEW-LEW grafts were used as controls. The LEW recipient rats were divided into acute rejection (AR) group, ciclosporin A (CsA) group and control group. In each group, 10 rats were sacrificed at 1, 5, and 7d after operation, respectively, and blood and kidney samples were collected. In the rat model of kidney transplantation, ESM-1 mRNA and ESM-1 protein expression were detected in various immune states to verify if ESM-1 can reflect endothelial cell impairment sensitively. RESULTS: ESM-1 mRNA (1d vs. 3d, P<0.01;3d vs. 7d, P=0.018) and ESM-1 protein expression was upregulated significantly in the AR group (P<0.01, 5 and 7d), when compared to CsA group and control group. In CsA group, the cell apoptosis rate decreased when compared to AR group (P<0.01). Pathological impairment was more serious in AR group than in CsA group (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Peripheral blood ESM-1 mRNA and ESM-1 protein expression in kidney grafts can reflect the severity of endothelial cell impairment. Thus, ESM-1 may be used as a new indicator for AR prediction and diagnosis. Nevertheless, further investigation is required to test if it meets the criteria for clinical utility.

[Efficacy of compound Xuanju capsule in the treatment of chronic prostatitis with erectile dysfunction].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Compound Xuanju Capsule (CXC) in the treatment of chronic prostatitis with erectile dysfunction (ED). METHODS: We obtained NIH-CPSI and IIEF-5 scores from 132 chronic prostatitis patients with ED and divided the patients into a control (n = 70) and a treatment group (n = 62), the former treated with oral levofloxacin 0.2 g bid for 4-6 weeks and oral Terazosin at 2 mg qd for 2 months, and the latter with oral CXC once 2 capsules tid for 2 months in addition to the above. RESULTS: None of the patients had serious medication-related adverse reactions. After treatment, the control group showed significantly decreased NIH-CPSI scores and slightly increased IIEF-5 scores as compared with the baseline (16.5 +/- 5.9 vs 25.1 +/- 5.5, P < 0.05 and 13.1 +/- 5.2 vs 11.3 +/- 4.5, P > 0.05), while the treatment group exhibited significant improvement in both NIH-CPSI (13.4 +/- 5.7 vs 25.5 +/- 5.3, P < 0.05) and IIEF-5 scores (17.5 +/- 6.5 vs 10.8 +/- 3.8, P < 0.05). The total effectiveness rate for ED was significantly higher in the treatment than in the control group (74.2% vs 20%, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Compound Xuanju Capsule can significantly alleviate both the symptoms of chronic prostatitis and ED in the treatment of chronic prostatitis patients with ED.